The Three of Us
by marsupial2
Summary: As the Western Civilization leaves Britain for the America and a mysterious man is helping monsters gain power with machines, the inhabitants of London both Greek and Roman must come together to make their last stand for their homes.
1. Out Of the Dark

_-Dark House-_

 _1874_

Tessa's footsteps slapped loudly against the wooden floorboards, her breath coming quick as she desperately willed her legs to move faster.

 _This is a dream come true! I will finally get to leave this wretched place!'_ Tessa thought as she tore around a corner, her agile companion gliding ahead of her.

Of course, in her dreams she'd always thought she'd be walking out hand-in-hand with her brother. Not rescued by some odd goat-human creature, even though she understood that the creature's intentions were good.

"My name is Synthia by the way, Synthia Underwood," Her liberator announced, she had a comforting low and musical British accent. "and don't you worry, I come from a long line of Keepers so you're in good hands now." Synthia slowed her pace to match Tessa's much slower one.

"A keeper?"Tessa asked her voice breathy from running, her fingers clutching instinctively around the package she was holding.

"Yes, a keeper. Chiron'll explain everything you need to know." Synthia answered.

 _'Chiron?'_ Tessa's mind buzzed with questions but none of them seemed to be close to getting answers.

"That's the exit." Synthia told her, they were standing behind a staircase in the main room, a room that Tessa had been in only when she was first escorted here. Not knowing the the way to the exit they had been stumbling through the house in what seemed like ages, Tessa's heart fluttered, like a bird trapped in a cage. So close, so close to freedom, she understood what authors meant when they said you could taste it. Freedom was sweet like a fresh breeze from the outside, sour like the sweat from the hard work to accomplish it.

"Now, now dearie, you do not truly think we would let you make such an easy escape?" a voice taunted from behind.

The taste of freedom had turned bitter, the was bird shot in the wings before it even left the ground. Tessa felt like crying. Mrs. Black and Mrs. Dark were standing there behind them in the hallway smiling triumphantly at the look of anguish on Tessa's face.

"Miss Grey please move behind me, I'll be damned if another half-blood gets hurt." Synthia said as Tessa numbly walked behind her before muttering under her breath. "I knew I should have stuck to basket weaving! No bloody kindly ones ready to chop my head off!"

"Do you remember what we did when we caught you trying to escape last time?" Mrs. Black warned, ignoring Synthia's presence.

Tessa shuddered skin prickling at the memory of the whip burning lines into her skin, the searing pain she was in afterwards. She hoped she would never experience that again.  
"Yes," Her voice cracked and she tried again. "Yes, I do remember, but I'll never let you torture me again! Not even if I die trying!" She said surprised at how true the words were. She couldn't help but feel victorious at the look of shock on the dark sisters faces.

"I would have loved killing you but sadly I have orders from the Magister." Mrs. Black said recovering from her shock before her sister. "However he never said anything about any satyrsyou might bring along" Mrs. Black said eyeing Synthia with distaste. Before lunging at her, a scythe materializing in her hands.

Synthia was quick to react, pulling a flute out of her belt, raising it to her lips and drawing out a soft tune from it.

 _'A flute? Why is she playing a flute here of all times?'_

Her question was answered because as soon as the first notes spilled out from the flute, Mrs. Black's scythe changed into a yellow sunflower in full bloom. Furious to be rid of her weapon Mrs. Black let out a low snarl, and charging at Synthia with her claws instead.

Tessa's her eyes widened at the disgarded sunflower, she had seen magic before but it was never something she associated with something as innocent as sunflowers. Magic was for torturing and pain, like how Mrs. Dark used it when Tessa was misbehaving, like when Tessa changed her bones felt like they were snapping and the awful pain she always in afterwards.

Distracted Tessa didn't notice Mrs. Dark had snuck up on her, magic crackling at her finger tips.

"Ow!" Tessa cried jerking away as Mrs. Dark's magic came to touch with Tessa's skin.

Stumbling backwards Tessa instinctively reached for her angle necklace, dropping the package clutched in her hands, pulling down on the angle until she could feel the chain digging into her neck. Tessa felt the pendant snap off the chain, her eyes widened as the angel grew longer and heavier until she was holding a golden sword in her hands.

"Miss Grey come- Oi! how did you get that sword miss?" Synthia asked, she had appeared at Tessa's side now that Mrs. Black was snugly tied up in a wooden vine clutching her the stem of her bright yellow sunflower tightly in her hands, enraged.

Before Tessa could answer, Mrs. Dark spoke out, glaring at them, standing a bit of a distance away from them. Unlike her sister she seemed to be more cautious about jumping right into a fight.

"Oh you think you're smart now don't you." Mrs. Dark snarled at them. "Running away from us like this." she said gesturing at the door. "But you'll remember that I made you what you are, without us you would still be a naive mortal. I showed you you're full potential. The Magister made you who you are." She laughed, a cold insane crackle. "You can't escape him you _are his._ So leave now little half-blood, and you shall be more vulnerable later."

Tessa glared at her, rage flooded her senses. This woman had made her feel like she was dying, like she was nothing, and now she was standing here telling Tessa that she owed her something. Tessa never despised someone as she did now.

She swung the sword at her.

The swing wasn't as she ha intended. The sword was lighter than she had thought and the grip molded in her hand like it was made for her. The balance threw her off and she cut Mrs. Dark's arm instead of her chest. It left a deep graze in her arm, blood pouring out on to the bright lemon yellow dress she was wearing.

Tessa's eyes widened she pulled her sword away appalled at what she had done. She sprinted out the door, Synthia following quickly behind her, goat legs moving much faster than Tessa's human ones.

She forgot the letters she had wrote to her dear brother. The only thing that connected to her old life, left in the shadows of the place she hated the most.

~0~

As they rode the scenery changed around them. The houses around them changed, from grand mansions the became squatter and shorter, seeming to huddle together for warmth amongst their thin walls.

They were going to the slums.

Out of all the times Tessa had dreamed about coming to England -even in the captive of the Dark sisters because she wasn't truly in England, yet.- pictured herself at the gorgeous monuments her brother had told her about in his letters, the ones that were described in wonderful writings in poetry. Now she was faced with reality, the terrible disgusting slums of the glorious London were spread out for her.

As Tessa hopped off the wagon they had taken a ride on, this particular alley wasn't unlike the others they had passed, but it held a certain aura to it.

It was familiar, comforting somehow. It was home.

"This is the entrance" Synthia told Tessa, they had walked up to a stone wall at the end of the alley

"it's a disguise?" Tessa asked her curiosity peaking.

"Yes," Synthia answered her lips tilted in a small smile. "We only have to step through the wall and we will be in the camp."

Tessa's lips parted in awe, she wondered how it worked. Was it a disguise? or a doorway? or-

"Miss Grey?" Synthia asked already stepping towards the solid looking wall.

"Coming!" Tessa answered snapping out of her thoughts, scurrying towards the entrance.

As Tessa stepped through the wall the scenery changed, it was no longer the dingy, damp dark ally way slum but a field with a sparkling clear lake nestled in it. Along the rim of the lake were thirteen houses, all of them seemed to be made from different materials, and had all seemed to be made by someone who couldn't decide on one design. Tessa could see that one was entirely made from metal and another was looked like a green house, she could even see plants growing inside, but there seemed to be beds hanging from the celling a draped across the floor amongst the plants.

"Those are the houses," Synthia said. "You will be living in one of those once you get claimed."

"I don't want to live in that one." Tessa said pointing to a rusty red one with spears and swords sticking out of it. "Why are there even swords here?" Tessa asked feeling worried.

"The weapons are for sending the kindly ones back to Tartarus, where they came from." Synthia answered with a practiced ease.

"Like a Telkhine?" Tessa asked. The Dark Sisters had made her change into one once, it was one of her later changes. The creature was terrible, being in it's skin was sensitive, like she was being blasted with winter air even in the heated air of the sister's office.

"Where did you learn that from?" Synthia asked.

"The Dark Sisters had one to make weapons." Tessa lied, she didn't want anyone to know about her powers, even though Synthia said that there were people like her here there was some gut instinct that was choking off the words before they could even form.

"We should go see Chiron." Synthia said not noticing Tessa's lie.

~0~

They were inside the lobby of the first house, the marble flooring was worn but polished, the beautiful crystal chandelier was clean and sparkling but the candle holders were full of burn marks that showed it's years. The room was clean in a loved way, expensive and used.

"Chiron!" Synthia said her voice had gone high and her cheeks flushed red, her hands running up to smooth down her braid of auburn hair.

' _Synthia must have a fancy for this Chiron bloke.'_

Tessa smiled and jumped when she turned around to find herself facing rather nonhuman legs. attached to the legs was a human man he seemed to be a age and was wearing a smart looking suit. It was expensive but used, much like the room.

"Are you a satyr too?" Tessa asked using the word that Mrs. Black said and hoping it didn't mean something offensive.

Chiron chuckled. "No, my child I am a centaur, although I am rather not like my brethren." He frowned slightly at the thought. "You my dear must be Synthia's new assignment. Come let me introduce you to the camp."

~0~

By the time the presentation was over and Tessa had her fill of answers, it was sundown and all the other children who were playing out in the fields were all running towards a large one story building on the side of the lake. Tessa had asked

"Where will I be staying to night?"

"The Hermes house I suspect, unless you already know your godly parent?" Chiron answered good-naturedly.

Tessa felt her throat close up in fear the words _Eidolon_ flashing through through her mind, from an overheard conversation that the Dark Sister were having in their horrible office in the damp hallway.

 _"She is mastering her power quickly"_ Mrs. Dark had said appreciatively. _"The Magister will soon congratulate us._

 _"Yes, and we will also have her father, a great Eidolon's favor as well."_ Mrs. Black added sounding smug.

"No, I don't know my godly parent." Tessa lied guilt flooding her body.

 _'You've only been here for two minutes and you're already breaking their trust.'_ Tessa thought glumly.

"I'll let Sophie show you the rest of the camp." Chiron said. Tessa blinked, she must have missed some of the conversation because standing in front of her was a young girl. The girl -Sophie, Tessa assumed.- around Tessa's age and had thick chocolate brown curls that were forced into tight twin braids. Her skin unlike Tessa's that had lost whatever small amount of color it had possessed during her time at the dark house, was a dark healthy tan, making her smile standout from her face.

"Come, I'll show you the rest of camp." Sophie said beckoning her with a hand.


	2. Accepting and Adopting

_humans are so needy and naïve_

 _they wish to be accepted, if not they grieve_

 _they long for friends, that they will deceive_

 _such odd things they are can you believe?_

 **-The Dark House-**

 _1874_

Will stared up at the building in front of him with a sense of foreboding. It was around two stories tall and was a putrid gray-green color with grand looking balconies that casted long shadows making the shape of the building seem like a mystery. From where they were standing at the side of the structure they could only see the path and steps that lead to where the door was.

"Thought this place would be more captivating." Will drawled trying to sound confident. "Although, I can't argue that this wallpaper is definitely a defect of nature."

"This is a minor sweep, they aren't sending us anywhere dangerous, or as you'd like to call it _captivating._ " Jem answered casually, already used to Will's snarky attitude.

Once the senate had found out that most effective way to rid themselves of the two inexperienced _probatio_ holders was to send them on useless missions Will and Jem had been assigned impractical duties, checking inventory, cleaning the stables. All the while Gabriel Lightwood and his friends spout lines like 'You should be honored to have such a important job!' and 'Where would this _legion_ be with out you!', giving Will distinct feeling that he was being mocked and laughed at. There was no one whom seemed to share his sentiment for wanting to break Lightworm's nose and he felt the world was against him.

Will crammed the rather enticing thought of hurting Gabriel to the back of his mind. Walked up the steps drawing out his too heavy sword, and before he lost his nerves, swung opened the door.

"Wait!" Jem called after Will, scrambling through the door to catch up with him. "We shouldn't be entering through the front door!" Jem hissed "Do you not listen to what Charlotte says about sweeps?!"

"well as you said," Will said mimicking Jem's voice. "They aren't sending us anywhere dangerous." taking pleasure from the annoyed look on his partners face. He took another step into the foyer.

The room they had entered was spacious and dim with two sweeping staircases that lead to opposite sides of the second floor. There were long parallel cuts in the wood and wallpaper like some animal had clawed at it. Making Will wish he had never come in in the first place. The room itself was bare but there were indents in the wood flooring that suggested it hadn't always been that way.

Will searched the room, walking quietly to make sure that his footsteps didn't make a sound. As he walked he found in the shadows of the staircase a packet of like envelopes strung together, all of them sealed and unopened. Will heard an inhumane yowl and a sharp hiss echo throughout the room, he quickly stuffed the packet into his pocket.

Will gulped, ' _Guess this place was_ interesting _after all.'_

Will ran back to the main room turning toward the location of the sound, his sword seemed more drawn towards gravity than it had moments before. He felt the blood rush to pool around his feet, making him lightheaded. He had never killed a monster before, all of his experience came from training sessions and the challenges against the other cohorts in the _legion_.

He wasn't prepared.

A low growling sound seemed come from a dark shadow covered corner in the room, as it got louder the dust to vibrated, bouncing up and down on the floor, the chandelier made soft clinking sounds above their head as it shook slightly.

Beside him he saw Jem get into a fighting stance, drawing out his knives, feet shoulder length apart. Absently Will knew that he should lift up his sword but in that moment their monster appeared. The shadows seemed to part for it, its bright feline eyes emerged first from the darkness then a paw and the rest of it's body. It was obviously a cat of some sort but as it moved it's flesh seemed to become transparent and Will could see it's skeletal structure.

Jem let out a curse, it was harsh and foreign, but left Will with no time to stop him as he leapt out knives flashing as he pounced on the creature. Knives and silver hairgleamingin the dim light of the entrance way. He seemed to move fluidly with the knives, as if they were apart of him.

Will knew the Jem had grown-up in the Chinese legion and and had been fully trained before coming to England, but he had never truly considered that he might be more experienced than Will was. Apparently one didn't really get to exhibit one's swordsmanship whilst scraping excrement off the floor of the stables. The creature let out a loud yowl, trashing and clawing trying to get Jem off it's back. Will moved towards the fight to help him just as Jem had been thrown off it's back and landed gracefully beside Will.

"It's a _spartus._ I don't know how, but it is." Jem told Will, sweat glistened on his forehead.

Will stared in awe at Jem, he looked like he had been on a morning jog rather than battling a monster trice his size.

"I might be able to reason with it because of my grandfather" Jem said, not realizing that Will's sudden lack of speech had been caused by himself.

"This cat has something to do with Mars?" Will asked returning from his shock

"Yes, but they aren't normally cats." Jem proclaimed before charging toward the creature.

Will stared at the now named monster,it's shoulders were drawn down towards the ground ready to pounce. It hissed turning it's flesh translucent and back again. Jem approached it gently and slowly, the way one would approach a frightened animal. But this was no frightened animal, it was a beast and Jem was going to get devoured.

"It's okay, hush" Jem crooned softly.

' _What the hell is he thinking?!'_

 _"_ I won't hurt you" The cat visibly relaxed.

"I wonder how you came to be. You're awfully feline to be a _spartus_." This time it looked Jem in the eye and Will was sure that it was going to open it's maw and decapitate Jem, but instead it let out a soft _mew._

"This place is hardly fit for a poor soul like you, all dark and dingy."

Will let out a scoff and both the cat and Jem snapped their heads at him, the later giving him a disapproving shake of his head.

 _'Well one of us has gone off and lost his bloody mind, talking to monsters like they're a newborn child.'_

the cat meowed and blinked slowly at Jem, butting it's head into Jem's chest.

' _Well_ _the monster is certainly acting like one.'_

Aloudbang came from somewhere in the house, the cat shrunk down on it's self letting out a low hiss.

"that must be his captors." Jem said his voice taking on a slight edge

"Oh, so it's a he now? What other information did you exchange during that rather moving conversation."

"shut up, his name is Church and I'm adopting him."

"Oh dear, Charlotte's going to have a field day about this." Will said. He was scared and the only words were able to penetrate the closing of his throat were insults and snarky comments.

the sound of closing doors got louder.

"We've gotta go, hurry." Jem said climbing on top of the cats back.

"I'm not riding a _spartus."_ Will protested.

"You didn't even know what a _spartus was_ a few seconds ago." Jem retorted. Will was taken aback, after several weeks of knowing Jem he had never heard him say a single bad thing about anyone, not even Gabriel Lightworm. Will wondered wether this meant that he had gotten on the last of his nerves or Jem had finally opened up to Will. He sincerely hoped for the latter because he was lonely and in dire need of a friend.

The door of the second floor burst open and two old women walked through it, bewilderment written on their faces, before they let out dual shrieks of anger.

"Let's get back home." Will agreed climbing on top of church's back.

Will let out a whoop of laughter as they bounded out in to the streets of London, the cool night air engulfing them.

~0~

It had taken the senate a few weeks to debate weather or not to let Will and Jem off of _probatio._ Even thoughCharlotte had been repeating over and over again that the senate was being idiots. That 'The Boys' as she called them, had saved the legion, informing them on a huge monster den that a more equipped search team had found. Whilst the centurions of the second and first cohort had argued that they had done nothing, and had even tamed a _spartus_ instead of killing it 'Like a true Roman.' They also seemed to believe incorrigibly that they were hiding something from the senate.

Of course, Will _was_ hiding something. The letters he had found were apparently private letters of a girl held captive in The Dark House, her name was Theresa Gray and all of the letters had been addressed to -What Will assumed was- Her brother, Nathan Gray. He was captivated, the way she wrote, the way the words swept off the page was beautiful. Her stories drew him in and made him feel all the loneliness, the sadness that she was feeling.

She was probably dead, there were human bodies in the cellar of the house and the letters ended a few months before he had come. It was a tragedy.

"We accept James Carstairs, grandson of Mars and of Carstairs, Apollo lineage, and William Herondale, of Herondale and Mercury lineage to the Ninth Legion Fulminata for their first year of service. Do you pledge your life to the senate and people of Rome?" Asked praetor WhiteLaw, it was the day of their ceremony all the senate members were piled up into the seats of the semi-circle to watch the promoting of the _probatio_ members who had tamed a _spartus._

"I do" Jem answered, his silver eyes flashing with brilliance.

"I-" Will took deep breath to calm himself "I do."

Will looked up at Jem, he was smiling faintly. His eyes darted down to church -whom they had found out had a smaller size he could change to- curled up up at his feet.

 _"Senatus Polpulusque Romanus"_ The senatechanted together

A fire burned on Jem's arm, he held still and didn't show any pain. When flame died down the marks were seared onto Jem's arm _SPQR_ a symbol of crossed spears to represent Mars and a lyre for his Apollo Lineage.

Will looked back at praetor Whitelaw, all he could think of was the pain on his arm. He tried not to react, like Jem, but the pain was too much and he had to bite down on his lip to keep from whimpering.

 _'mighty brave you are, can't even bear a little pain.'_ he thought sarcastically as the light dimmed down.

His marks were unlike Jem's. They both had only one mark for their years of service but his had the Caduceus on his wrist instead of a lyre. Will had half expected a trident to appear on his arm too, to symbolize his mother's greek heritage, and being a grandson of Poseidon. But he was glad it didn't. He already got enough flak for being half greek, he didn't need to flaunt it around for everyone to see

~0~

It was nearly time for curfew but Will, Jem and a full sized Church were sitting on the field of Mars, celebrating their victory on finally becoming full members of the legion.

"My _mam_ would have been proud of me." Jem said wistfully taking a swig of hot chocolate beside Will.

"My mum would have shrieked about evil romans and drowned Church." Will answered glancing sideways to see Jem's reaction.

"I'm awfully afraid of you're mother now." Jem said, keeping his tone casual but slightly pompous. Will had found out that this was how he expressed humor, and was rather proud to be able to identify his joking voice from his serious one. It felt like he was being truly accepted.

"Says the one with a daughter of Mars for a mother." Will retorted.

"Oh, but she loved cats and would never even had thought of drowning poor little Church." Jem told him smiling a little bit, before looking at his side where church was stretched out on his stomach and pat his head, his hand not even reaching from ear to ear.

"She was amazing," Jem continued smile widening and sparkling with happiness. "and then she was gone." Jem's smile slid from his face any humor was drained from his body. Will had known that Jem was an orphan, but never had really heard much of the story beyond that his parents were horrifically murdered by some kind of monster in the sixth legion in China.

"I-I'm sorry." Will said. He didn't really know what to say, he would have been devastated if his parents had died but had no idea how to comfort Jem.

Jem smiled and Will was caught off guard, his smile was sad and the muscles seemed to not want to cooperating with the action, his hair and fallen down covering his eyes and was shining a brilliant silver in the moonlight. He seemed to be steeling himself to do something he despised.

Will didn't like seeing him sad like this.

"I'm sick."

"Oh, do you want to go back in to the barracks?" Will asked taken aback by the change of subject.

"No, Will, when I was younger I was discovered to have Apollo's blessing, I can tell prophecies. There hasn't been a Carstairs in centuries who has had the blessing of Apollo." Jem barreled on, like if he stopped right now he would never gather the courage to ever tell him again. Will wanted him to tell Will this, he decided he wasn't going to interrupt.

"It's a near impossible trait, descendants or children of Apollo can only read the words from the gods or the Sybline books." Jem said. "We know that the Greeks have the Oracle of Delphi, but us Romans can only do so much without a true Prophet. I get sick every time I use it, nausea, I was bedridden for weeks the first time I used it." He paused before barreling on telling Will the story of his parents and how they were tortured and killed by _yanlou_ a Chinese monster, how Jem had tied to chair and forced to watch the life slowly drain out of his parents.

The story made Will sure of one thing, Jem was the bravest person he knew.


	3. Chapter 3

**-streets of London-**

 _1878_

Will stared at the mouth of the alley he was going into, it was dark and smelled of organic material left out in the sun for too long. Of course this was where the monsters were, in the foul smelling pit of London.

Will braced himself as he walked to the narrow lane. It had been five years since he had become a full member of the _legion_ , since the total departure of the gods and Camp Minerva had been desperate for warriors, sending even under trained persons like Will out into the battlefield. Or well, at least to slightly decrease the amount of monsters the next time they attack.

Further into the alley Will heard noises, he softly crept deeper into the small passage. His heart thumped in his chest, he still felt anxious every time he killed a monster. The noises at the end of the alley were growing louder with every step until he could hear a soft muffled sounds.

 _Wham!_

Something hard collided with Will's face, clutching his face he stumbled back. With his free hand Will quickly drew out his sword, only to find one already pointed at his neck.

"Stop playing games with me, monster." The owner of the sword told him. The voice was strong and steady but distinctly feminine. It sounded odd, her vowels were inconsistent, changing from a harsh cockney to soft nasally American one.

"I'm not a monster." Will growled at his captor, he wasn't able to turn his head to look at the girl from where she held him.

' _Oh look what I've gotten myself into. There's some maniac Half-Blood with their sword against my neck threatening me. Oh Jem would get a kick out of this.'_

Will knew exactly how Jem would react to this, he would smile a little then he would use one of those knives he had gotten from Artemise and slit this person's throat, of course then he would tease Will about it for weeks on end. Will was incredibly grateful Jem wasn't here.

"Do you take me for a fool _Eidolon_? I know that you've been following me and my charge for the last few hours. No monsters would be ludicrous enough come this close to us Greeks." The girl said.

' _Greeks?'_ Will's mind churned, the senate knew that the Greeks were somewhere around but never had an exact location. It would explain how the monsters never seemed to be anywhere near this part of the slums.

"I'm not an _eidolon_ " Will pleaded, racking his brain for any information on the monster. "Look at my eyes." Will said relieved that he could remember that _eidolons_ had golden eyes. The girl went silent obviously contemplating his suggestion, before she slowly tilted her sword up so that he was looking at her. All Will could see about the _greacus_ was a dark blue hood and cape that wrapped around the girl obscuring her body and face. A pale hand flashed up to where Will assumed her mouth was hidden and her sword dropping from under his chin once she saw his face.

"You aren't _lying_?" The girl whispered, shocked.

"Well of course not." Will said starting to feel annoyed.

"You've been following us for the last two hours, so I think I'm entitled to think that you're a monster." the girl snapped back at him.

"What? I haven't been following you for the last two hours. And who is us? There seems to be only one of you. " Will said

The girl ignored the last question, she stiffened and stared at Will. "He's still after us."

A low chuckle echoed through the alley. "I was wondering how long it would take you to realize that his boy isn't me." The _eidolon_ said. "Maybe after you had sliced his throat open? You know I'd always thought you'd have taken after Athena, but then again, sometimes the smartest people can be brash. Especially if they're protecting something." The Eidolon said sounding smug. By the way it was talking this was probably an old monster. Will had only fought few older monsters, mostly with the entire cohort.

"How did you find us?" The girl asked, her voice strong. Will was struck with the fact that Will hadn't even seen this infamous third person everyone was talking about.

"Oh, I just disguised myself as a Demi-god in that pathetic camp of yours and asked about your quest, they were quite glad to give me the information if I do say so myself."

The girl let out a gurgling sound before saying "Why are you targeting me? If you can get into camp then why do you want me!" The girl cried, her voice cracking in the middle of the sentence.

"Oh Theresa, you know why."

' _Theresa.'_

One word and all of Will's thoughts unfroze. It was that name, the name he had associated with the comforting words, words that had floated into his mind during long nights he had spent up reading. The only other thing except James that had ever touched his soul in all of his years being a _legionnaire_.

A name he had thought was long dead.

' _It can't be. There are so many Theresa's out there. She isn't the one.'_

"Emma!" Theresa shouted. A frail looking girl with stringy blonde hair shot out from a low hanging roof tackling the _eidolon_ to the ground.

' _So, there's the third person.'_

Theresa picked up her sword and jumped out to help the little girl turning around to face Will she said sounding worried and aspirated. "Are you going to just stand there stupidly? I thought Romans were good fighters!"

' _My Theresa or not, she's fiery.'_

Will unsheathed his sword and lunged into the fight. Theresa was already there sword ready jabbing at the _eidolon._ Will felt the sudden urge to put his all in this fight, he wanted Theresa to see his swordsmanship and praise him for it. Will hefted his sword looking sideways at Theresa, she was backing up her stance filled with determination. She her hood faced him she seemed to be saying ' _Go on prove yourself to me.'_

Will was happy to oblige.

"Hey _eidolon_!" Will shouted the feeling brave. "What do you want with some Greek girl, She's hardly got any meat on her." Will felt Theresa's glare on his back.

"Ah Poseidon's spawn, haven't seen one of those in while. Has the the old man gone inactive? Fled the second he could? Shame he's always the most fun to fight."

Will felt cold. This was truly an old monster, talking about Olympians by their names, probably been around for a few shifts of the Western Civilization too.

"Well I'm sorry, I can't account for my grandfather's absence. You'll just have to fight me instead." Will said, not letting any fear tint his voice. He swung his blade at the monster, but it was ducked easily.

"Arrogant little brat aren't you? But Poseidon's one's always are. Tell me do they know about your Greek legacy? Do they laugh at you and tell you you're a disgrace that should never had been born?"

Will felt blood rushing to his head, he didn't just want to defeat this monster to impress Theresa anymore.

"Shut up!" Will swung his sword again, this time it cut through the monster. Will was breathing hard and sweat was dripping down his chin, he pulled his sword away from the monster. The _eidolon_ looked astonished before it burst into dust, it probably never expected the measly Roman boy to even touch him.

Theresa grabbed Will's hand and he was torn away from the remnants of the monster.

~0~

By the time Tessa and the Roman had reached the meeting place it was raining. She and the boy had spent the entire trip silent letting the slowly accumulating amount of rainfall drench their backs. Tessa stared at the lane. She had sent Emma Bayliss to Fleet Street right past the Mrs. Lovetts pie shop. Tessa had no idea what to do with the Roman.

"So, what you're name?" Tessa asked, trying to make conversation.

"Will," The boy said shorty. "Where is the girl? The one you were with?"

"This is the meeting place."

"And I'll never hear the end of how poorly this assignment went when I get back, I'm positive that Chiron will be ecstatic about this."

"What's that?" Will asked.

' _Why did I have to take on Synthia's habit of talking out loud to herself?'_ Tessa thought.

"Oh nothing, anyways" Tessa said trying to distract Will from her blurb. "What is a Roman like you doing all the way in Darkest London?" She was using the nickname for the East End slums. "Shouldn't you be flaunting around in the Covent Gardens of West End?"

Will smirked and Tessa was struck -not for the first time.- by how handsome he was, beautiful raven black hair, bottle blue eyes. He was a pretty little thing, even a blind woman could tell he was dashing.

"Being in the legion there's hardly time left for flaunting around _Theresa_." He said jokingly. "And also, for your information I was clearing out monsters, apparently they're quite attracted to the slums."

Tessa's eyes narrowed "Don't recall giving you my name." Tessa felt immediately felt uneasy. "How do you know it?"

"The _Eidolon_ said it when we were fighting." The boy said casually.

' _He only said it once, why would he remember that?'_ Tessa thought, she filed away the information for later.

"It's Tessa, nobody calls me that Theresa."

Tessa looked up her eyes caught sight of Emma's blonde hair drenched in dirty rain water.

"Miss Gray! I'm here. But wha' on earth is tha'? O' All the things I've seen in the slums tha' was the strangest!" Emma exclaimed her accent becoming worse in her panic.

"Calm down Emma, I've explained to you about the greek gods and well, there are greek monsters too." Tessa explained.

"But what abou-"

"There will be more time to answer questions back at camp." Tessa cut not wanting to give away the Greeks secrets to Will.

"Well Tessa, I'm afraid that your marvelous company with me must end here. I shall look back on this rain drenched evening with fondness." Will said before turning and walking off in the other direction.

Tessa rolled her eyes "Emma we must get back to camp." she said as soon as Will left her sight.

"But what abou' your friend Miss?"

"He isn't anybody you should concern yourself with."

Why was the Legion sending soldiers all the way out to darkest London? They knew that Greeks inhabited the area. So why?

~0~

Will was lying on his bed back in the fifth cohort barracks. The second he had come back Charlotte had taken to mothering him whilst Jem stood by stifling laughter as Charlotte stuffed dry clothes into his arms muttering about hypothermia. But Will couldn't care less about catching a cold or dying for that matter. Because of _her_ he finally knew where she was. He had been sure the second the girl had said her last name. Gray. Theresa Gray.


End file.
